Chalk Hill Road Refused

Taylor Wimpey’s second targeted site in Horndean, Chalk Hill Road, has been refused by the planning team at EHDC without even coming to a planning committee. The proposed development which is along Highcroft Lane, a double parked and narrow road which was never intended to accommodate a further 50 homes at the end.

At the time the application was submitted, EHDC did not have sufficient houses in the application process to achieve a five year land supply. While this 5 year supply is developer driven if there are not enough houses being built then EHDC is not allowed to use its ‘Saved Policies’, one of which is that identified gap land can not be built on. The theory is that we need to get the right balance between protecting areas and building sufficient housing to meet our own needs.

During the consultation process a number of larger applications around the District were approved and this built up a large enough total in January to bring in the ‘Saved Policies’ and EHDC have been able to reject this application in part based on the Gap Policy. The second key reason is the emerging allocations plan which is now in its second round of public consultation which also identifies other locations for the local needs and this site is not one of them.

This is the second Taylor Wimpey application to have been made in Horndean and the second to be refused. White Dirt Farm was controversial in the quality of the consultation which was held in the wrong parish, and residents were somehow sent the wrong plans with a much larger scheme being presented to the planning office instead. Residents at the Chalk Hill Road were reportedly told by a Taylor Wimpey representative “We will loose this at the planning committee, but win it at an appeal”. At this point with the housing need being met this would be a waste of money for Taylor Wimpey who have not registered an appeal on the White Dirt Farm site despite their very confident approach to this development.

Cllr Sara Schillemore, whose ward it is in, said “I am very pleased as the access is totally unsuitable and this is another area of green space in gap land we have been able to turn down. Hopefully with the approval of Land East Of Horndean we will confidently see the end of this speculative development in Horndean.”

Hi Lee, I fully agree. EHDC has a very good track record at winning appeals (about 85%) but we have to appoint barristers to do so and carry out extensive preparation beforehand. Aside from the stress of it all, we need now to be focusing on moving issues forwards. Best wishes, Guy.

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